Black Beauty Blasting Grit or 3M ColorQuartz S-Grade ?

Jag1980

Jag1980

Got Plants?
Aug 18, 2008
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Marysville, Wa
These are the only options I have in my area for a cheap substrate.

What Substrate is larger in size?

Black Beauty Blasting Grit
Or
3M Colorquartz S-Grade?

Would this be ok for a planted substrate or is there a high chance of problems? I never used a sand type of substrate so I have no experience with it at all
 
I hear black beauty is pretty small.
 
I picked up a 100 lb bag of Black Beauty. I finally threw it into the woods after it sat unused for a few years. The stuff is extremely fine and faily sharp edged and I was afraid to risk putting it into a tank.

Pea gravel is good option. Some places have a more natural looking pea stone as opposed the standard off white which is not a color I like. If you are not planting and can use a slightly larger gravel, most stone/gravel yards will have bagged river type pebbles. I got a few 50 lb bags for a few bucks each- I think it was called Pecos river or something like that.
 
Everything I have read about the Black Beauty says it is quite sharp so it does not mix well with bottom dwellers. It is powdered iron slag so it is not inert. That is why I personally stayed away from it.

The color quartz S-grade is beautiful, very perfectly round granuals. Depending on the individual bags it can be VERY hard to clean, quite oily. I purchased some black S-grade for my cichlid tank about a month ago. I currently have spent almost 20 hrs trying to clean it and it is still oily (I have been told that black is the worst though). I have not found anyone that has had such a problem with it though so I must have gotten really bad bags.

My friend also bought some T-grade but we have not opened that up yet. It is also very nice, it is more like little chips of stone. I am not sure how sharp it is though. I can update you on that later if you like.

I almost positive the colorquartz S-grade is larger then the Black Beauty. As far as for a plant substrate, opinions vary. Pretty much anything CAN be used but most seem to have better luck with small gravel because the roots can hold onto it easily. The colorquartz is pretty heavy though, compared to my eco-complete it is like a dream!

Even though I am having such trouble with the colorquartz I would not rule it out. This is just my experience, hope it helps. Are you looking for any particular color?
 
Black beauty is sandblast media, made from mill slag.
it has sharp edges, its for sandblasting.
its available in several sizes, though most places dont carry all the sizes.
the stuff is made about 20 miles from my house.

http://www.reedmin.com/
 
Sounds like the Black slag is pretty sharp, but I'm not sure if all the slag brands are the same sharpness as all other brands? they probably are.

I called around again and found one place selling these options that might work for me.

One product is: copper slag clean blast (IRON SILICATE)
Copper slag is a low cost expendable abrasive used for open blasting cleaning and due to its low silica content does not pose the health hazard created by silica sand. Copper slag is used predominantly in shipyards for the removal of heavy corrosion and coating.

The other is: basalt - I think comes in a standard aquarium gravel size.
Sounds like the Basalt might be a better option.

The copper slag is $9.75 for a 100 pound bag :perv:

The other is around the same cheapness.
I have not yet seen these products in person, trying to gather all the info I can before I buy on what would be best for a planted tank.

What .mm grain size is good for plant root circulation?

 
brentling said:
The Color Quartz comes in two sizes, so you can choose. The blasting grit will be quite fine in texture.
Click to expand...

I can't choose because no one had T grade in Washington state.
 
What about crushed marble? The person I called says it's black and very small like chunky sand
 
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